Category: In The Spotlight

JULY 10, 2012: With the third annual running of the National Off-Road Racing Association (NORRA) General Tire Mexican 1000 now in the record books, there has been time to reflect on an event that cemented the rally’s heritage as the “Happiest Race on Earth”. The months leading up to this annual NORRA-promoted rally down the […]

Riverside, California (July 10, 2012) – The 2012 X Games in Los Angeles boasted enormous ratings and record attendance while Stronghold Motorsports and the team’s athletes were there throughout the four day event on site and during the national broadcast on ABC, ESPN and ESPN 2. With seven time supercross champion and Stronghold […]

Chances are if you race or watch racing in the deserts of Nevada you have experienced the rush of TJ Flores making dust across the vast expanse of unforgiving terrain that surrounds his home town of Las Vegas. The class one champion is a potential over-all winner in every race he enters, and desert racing […]

Pictures provided by Big Ugly racing Throw logic to the wind, there is no way to define how a car that big, and that ugly can fly like a short course truck on the massive jumps at the Lucas Oil tracks. There is also no way to explain how a 4 wheel drive beast can […]

Brutal honesty. The discussion was not something comfortable, following the release of the first King of the Hammers movie. EZ Rick Mooneyham was not happy that his third place finish was not given more attention in the film. His argument was good, and he spoke with conviction. He picked up the phone and spoke his […]

If there is one team that competes in the King of the Hammers that proves that the race is an every mans race it would be the Race Prep Hobbies team. The husband and wife duo of Richie and Kristen Carter are the perfect story of what the King of the Hammers and Ultra 4 […]

Dark horse is a term used to describe a little-known person or thing that emerges to prominence, especially in a competition of some sort or a contestant that seems unlikely to succeed. In Ultra4 racing Jason Pickett wears that badge with honor. If you search for Jason Pickett on the web you won’t find pages […]

Pictures provided by Loren Healy 28 seconds can change the life of an off-road racer. For good or bad, the 2010 King of the Hammers came down to 28 seconds. The closest race with a hand full of finishers coming across the line within minutes it took some time for the timing crew to figure […]

Family is a word you will hear tossed around the Ultra4 Community, because the racers tend to feel they are all one big family of dysfunctional race siblings, and it is easy to see if you walk the pits. The infancy of any great grassroots racing history can be traced to a lot of passionate […]

By Will Gentile for OffRoadPress.com “Who is Erik Miller?” The question asked at the 2010 King of the Hammers finish line, as the gold skinned Miller Motorsports car sat surrounded by race fans, a gleaming Erik Miller sitting in the driver’s seat. The question begged an answer following the seemingly out of nowhere 5th […]

Pictures provided by Jason Blanton. Jason Blanton is not afraid of the KOH Last Chance Qualifier, he has conquered it twice and he laughs at Backdoor trail which he is well versed in climbing on a single attempt, something even the biggest names seem to have a bit of trouble with, but the title of […]

“All Hail the King!” Photo’s provided by; SirMarlon Photography,Thomas Kingston, OverrockOffroad.com, Panda Propaganda The Campbell family has a well documented history of excellence in Rocksports. Few families can boast the success they have had in building vehicles, racing, and Rockcrawling. It is truly a family affair, and that rings true in how they present themselves. […]

Photos provided by Greg Lundgreen. The King of the Hammers continues to inspire recreational off-roaders to take on the biggest challenge in the sport. They come from across the country, and the globe for a chance to test their merit against a collection of the most difficult trails in the USA. Colorado has long […]

The Morning sun crept through the valley near the Fisher Mountain range in Johnson Valley and gave birth to another day of racing at the 2009 King of the Hammers. Jose Ponce had traveled a long way from his home in Mexico by way of Texas to get here. He promised one thing to his […]

Editors note HMC’s Will Gentile joins us for this round of Spotlight, sharing his insight on Murphy’s Law Motorsports, but I wanted to share a unique story about this team, so please make sure and check out the the rest of the story for a view into what happens when you take a couple guys […]

As an off-road racing enthusiasts I have been very fortunate to be in a position to write this spotlight series of articles from personal experience with each of the drivers, but possibly none of these drivers has been passed over by the King of the Hammers loyalists as one of the potential winners as often […]

When it comes to dedication and preparation there are very few people out there that can say they have put in more time getting ready for the King of the Hammers than Tony Pellegrino. If you were to follow his facebook page it would read something like this… Headed to the hammers, back home tuning […]

There has been a time in nearly every young man’s life when he goes out looking for trouble. Most often the flip side of this is that one guy who knows damn well trouble is gonna find him most every Friday night. When Bulletin boards started becoming popular fast fingers and quick wit allowed some […]

The odd couple, what more can be said of a match up like OG 13 Ultra4 racer Bart Dixon, and Larry Gipson? This spotlight might be a little different, but its Friday, and I think that just about sums up this relationship, I think a Kenny Chesney song might be the theme song for these […]

The King of the Hammers has become an international phenomenon in just 5 years with race teams from around the globe traveling to Hammertown to experience Rocksports biggest event. Today we look at a competitor from Rome Italy who experienced his first KOH with little preparation, and learned enough to give it a second chance. […]

What can I do to help, are words you will hear often from the mouth of Chris Garrison. The ultra4 driver with the Samurai based Ultra4 car is often seen lending a hand with tech inspection when he is not participating in the race. He will gladly chase desert racers when his time keeps from […]

There is no doubt Tom Wayes would be a candidate for a Marlboro Man commercial if they had not fallen from favor. The avid outdoorsman laughs in the face of danger on a regular basis seeking to participate in life rather than spectate. When Wayes is not flying through the deserts of the southwest in […]

Dodge City Kansas has not been considered a hotbed of talent in off-road motorsports. Famously portrait as a town of Gunslingers and Lawmen on the silver screen Dodge City is home to a rising star in Ultra4 racing. Getting behind the wheel at only nine years old, and running at the top of the XRRA […]

The Nevada Desert can be a very lonely place. In most of the state you could travel for 100’s of miles and never see any signs of life. There quit possibly is no place more lonely then when you have crashed your desert car during a Best in the Desert race. Knowing that your chase […]

Alex Hardaway is one of the new faces on the Ultra4 series tour, and will be running the 2012 King of the Hammers after qualifying at the Best in the Desert Silver State 300. In 2011 Alex showed up in the desert of Southern California after working as a crew member with big plans to […]